My Big Fat Cowpat Wedding

A collaboration between three producing companies, My Big Fat Cowpat Wedding evolved from a community exchange between the residents of a Shropshire village and people living in the bright lights of the city.

The theme of lifestyle clash was further developed by a series of interviews with people who had experienced intercultural marriages or country weddings where city folk had felt totally out of their depth.

The end result is a production which takes us into the marriage ceremony between Clare and Anjun and which reveals the deep divide between town and country, Indian and English traditions and rich and poor.

On arrival, the audience members become guests at the wedding party and, munching on samosas and sitting around the dance floor, they watch as the misunderstandings, fears and prejudices stack up.

Writer Sayan Kent has packed the production full of humour with some great one-liners which poke fun at wedding traditions. But there is also plenty of pathos as we see the family tragedies behind the fixed smiles.

The rapid pace and large number of characters demands a lot from the cast of four who manage the frequent role changes with lightning speed.

But the over-layering of characters, story-lines and emotions is too ambitious. Some characters are on stage for such a short time they deliver a few humorous lines but have no opportunity to develop and the plot becomes weighed down by the number of conflicts.

It is, though, a fun show which sends up the social pretences of the perfect wedding while ensuring the audience stays engaged and involved.

Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton

October 2, then touring until November 9. PN October 2

Author: Sayan Kent

Directors: Steve Johnstone, Janet Steel

Design: Abigail King set/costume

Technical: Nicola Cartwright company stage manager

Cast: Aaron Virdee, Aimee Berwick, Graeme Rose, Sheena Patel

Producers: Black Country Touring, Kali Theatre, Arts Alive

Running time: 1hr 35mins

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Verdict

The Stage is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry, and particularly theatre. It was founded in 1880. It contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising.